Improvement in car-trucks



A. BRIDGES.

Car Truck.

` No. 35,410. Patented May 27,- 1862-.`

N.PETE8, FHDTWUTMOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

"UNITED` STATES YPATENT EEICE.

ALFRED BRIDGES, OE NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ALBERTBRIDGES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-TRUCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35AM), dated May 27,ISG?.

.'Z'oaZZ whom i? may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED BRIDGES, of Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvementsin Suspending the Bolster-Beam of Railroad-Car Trucks, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, refer# usuallyconstructed theV bolster of the carbody rests on a heavy beam, calledthe bolsterbeam,77 through which the body bolt7 or king-bolt passes.This beam has been suspended to the cross-sills by swinging bars, sothat the frequent oscillations of the truck between the rails may not becommunicated so directly to the car-body.

My present invention consists in applying to this swinging bolster-beamsprings so arranged that while they still permit the necessary swing ofthe beam laterally in the truck will relieve the` concussion given tothe carbody by suddenly arresting the movement of the truck along therails, as when applying the brakes, or when the truck-wheels meet withany obstruction.A

Thatothers skilled in the art may understand and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said,drawings,'A is thetruck-frame,

`which rests on lthe axle-boxes in` the usual manner. Two heavycross-sills,lB B,extend from one side of the truck to the other betweenthe wheels, and between' these crosssills is suspended the swingingbolsterbeam G in the following manner: From the top of each crosssill BB rises a short stud or bearing, a,

` through each pair of which passes a rod or cross'shaft,` b. Four heavyhanging bars, D, are pivoted one to each end of the rods b. The oppositeends ofthe bars D are pivoted in pairs to rods c, on which restsa plank,E, which is thus permitted to oscillate transversely of the truck. Onthis plank or beam are placed two heavy springs, G, (india-rubber orother,) on which the bolster-beam C rests, one spring being placed neareach end of the beam, the springs being attached to the beam C and plankE. The bolster of the carbody vrests on the bolster-beam C or on ablock, d, attached thereto, and the king-bolt passes through the hole e.Side bearings (either roils or friction-plates) receive the bearing ofthe car-body on each end of the bolsterbeam C to arrest therocking ofthe car-body.

Thus far the arrangement of the parts is similar to what has alreadybeen used; but it i is found in practice that where the bolsterbeam Chassufficient play between the crosssills B B to permit the beam tooscillate freely, as is necessary, there is an unpleasant jar betweenthe beam and the sills, which is communicated to the car-body wheneverthe truck is arrested in its movement along the rails by therapplicationof the brakes, or by meeting obstructions on the rails. This I havearrested in the following manner: From the under side of the beam G,toward each end, projects a plate or dat standard, f, on either side ofwhich a rubber spring, H, is-placed. A rod,g,passes through the spring.One end of this rod is inserted in the plate f and the other end, onwhich a screw is cut, passes through a hole or slot in a bracket, h,attached to the crosssill B or B', the hole in the bracket being largerthan the rod g to permit asufcient play. A nut, t', on the rod g isturned up against the inner face of the bracket h to apply the requiredamount of pressure to the spring H, acap, m, on the rod bearing againstthe springs. The play of the rod g in the bracket h permits the desiredoscillation of the beam C across the truck, while the springsH arrestand relieve the concussion of the beam against the vcrosssills, and bygiving more space between the square ends of the springs H, bearingfagainst the flat standards f, also tend to cheek a too free swing ofthe bolster-beam laterally and The application ofsprings H, or theirequivalents, on each side of the bolster-beam C, sub stantially in themanner and for the purpose ALFRED BRIDGES. Witnesses:

THos. R. ROAGH, P. E. TESCHEMACHER.

